Petcock reserve and replacement question

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Nortorious

Nortorious

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After pulling my tank off today I found the petcocks could stand replacing so I'm considering getting new ones. See the pictures. So question #1, what are the best ones? Should I go with the ones at Andover Norton (reserve and main)?

The second question may be irrelevant if I'm replacing the petcocks, but it's a curiosity. The fuel reserve didn't work. I got my new 1973 850 running yesterday and took it out for it's first proper ride today. I opened the left side petcock only (which I think is the main one). I got about two miles before sputtering and figured it was fuel (it was), and opened the right side petcock while sputtering out. It didn't come back to life. I pulled over, opened the right petcock so both were open, and found that I wasn't getting fuel. I found that the gas was pretty darn low (see attached photo of tank at the time), but why didn't the reserve save me and deliver the last bit of fuel? After leaving and coming back to add gas it started right up, so it was definitely low fuel.

Cheers,
Mike
 

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Hard to see, but they both look like reserve. Does one have a tube under the screen? Due to the way the tunnel is in a Norton tank, gas doesn't get from one side to the other once low. If you run one side out with a reserve petcock, the only way to get the other side is another reserve petcock. For that reason, a reserve on both sides can be useful as long as you don't run with both open.
 
marshg246 said:
Hard to see, but they both look like reserve. Does one have a tube under the screen? Due to the way the tunnel is in a Norton tank, gas doesn't get from one side to the other once low. If you run one side out with a reserve petcock, the only way to get the other side is another reserve petcock. For that reason, a reserve on both sides can be useful as long as you don't run with both open.
Click to expand...
Thanks! Good theory and possibly the case. I'll have to get the two petcocks side by side and see if they are identical. Perhaps the previous owner had that same thought.

I had the same thought also before giving up and leaving to get a can of gas. I was leaning it as far to the side as I could and shaking the bike to try and get all the gas to the reserve side... Didn't do the trick though.
 
Old Britts carried some really nice petcocks.

Petcock reserve and replacement question


The ones on the left are BAP from Italy. I like them a lot.

Andover has the ones on the right. I don't know where you can get the BAP now. Neither are expensive so worth replacing if you have any kind of issue.
 
swooshdave said:
Old Britts carried some really nice petcocks.

Petcock reserve and replacement question


The ones on the left are BAP from Italy. I like them a lot.

Andover has the ones on the right. I don't know where you can get the BAP now. Neither are expensive so worth replacing if you have any kind of issue.
Click to expand...
Thanks Dave! I'm really sad about Old Britts. I have been dreaming of a Norton for 15 years and finally got it, and some of the key vendors aren't around. So far Andover has kept me up with what I need though.

The ones on the right are actually not the same ones from Andover. I linked to them above. I found the set on ebay for $25
 
I bought a set of these UK made taps here in NZ as well as a set of the Paoli BAP types with main/reserve on each. The BAP type flow about half as much as either of the others

These are very good quality.


Petcock reserve and replacement question
 
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I've got two BAP taps, both reserve.

Norton reserve tap was on the right but they changed to the left at some point. Some owner's handbook wallets that came with the machine contained a slip of paper asking the owner to amend the book.
In a 1973 850 manual I have page 8 states the reserve is on the right and page 12 of the same manual it states it's on the left.
My 750 manual states reserve is on the right on both pages.

16193511294552365165940933612800.jpg
 
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Torontonian said:
I run BAP taps. Smooth twist and the stock delicate handles don't break off after a while.
Click to expand...
I use BAP as well. I have a box full of the OEM types that I've bought from different vendors over the years and they all eventually leak or the rubber seal disintegrates and leaves rubber chunks in the fuel lines to clog things.
 
A few years ago the after market, but stock looking, pet cock broke off at the tank. My Interstate tank was almost full. I was at a Harbor Freight store and a very kind man went in and bought a 5 gallon bucket for the fuel to drain in. Damn near filled the bucket. Once I was able to take my finger out of the hole I was able to get the remains out of the tank and there were just enough threads left for me to screw in the petcock less the jam nut. I offered the man that bought the bucket money for the bucket he wouldn't take it. Bless him. I ordered a BAP petcock as soon as I got home.
BTW I put the reserve tap on the left so that if I need to change over I don't have to take my hand off the throttle.
 
Reserve on right or left? This topic comes around more often than Halley's Comet. I like my reserve on the left so I can work the throttle if and when the main tap tells me I over under estimated to range to my destination.

I like the petcocks that have ON-OFF-RESERVE on both sides with noticeably higher standpipes on the main function. Gives you a built-in second chance and a heads-up if you push your luck, or the first chance to kick yourself in the back-side. Good petcocks aren't cheap and have smooth action. Regardless of what you choose make sure you "hard-wire" the locations of the petcocks along with the corresponding function; if you have to see/wonder if you have selected main or reserve while your engine is sputtering I sure hope you aren't in heavy fast moving freeway traffic because the petcock(s) may be the last thing you see...

Best.
 
RoadScholar said:
Reserve on right or left? This topic comes around more often than Halley's Comet. I like my reserve on the left so I can work the throttle if and when the main tap tells me I over under estimated to range to my destination.

I like the petcocks that have ON-OFF-RESERVE on both sides with noticeably higher standpipes on the main function. Gives you a built-in second chance and a heads-up if you push your luck, or the first chance to kick yourself in the back-side. Good petcocks aren't cheap and have smooth action. Regardless of what you choose make sure you "hard-wire" the locations of the petcocks along with the corresponding function; if you have to see/wonder if you have selected main or reserve while your engine is sputtering I sure hope you aren't in heavy fast moving freeway traffic because the petcock(s) may be the last thing you see...

Best.
Click to expand...
This is fantastic advice thanks @N0rt0nelectr@ and @RoadScholar. I've always had single petcock machines so haven't considered the importance of having the tap on the left hand side in case of needing to switch it in traffic.

I did manage to hardwire the location and side in my head, even considering it was my first ride. Believe or not I had read the exact page of the rider manual referenced by @Dommie Nator but I only saw the page that said the main fuel tap is the left side so I figured that was the setup. It appears the PO went went dual reserve taps and I found out with a relatively uneventful, if humbling, roadside event. My wife refused to pick me up out of principal for playing with these old beasts. If she thinks I'm learning some sort of lesson she's more hard headed than me.

Now I have to decide if I go with the "original" equipment or switch to a BAP setup. I'm inclined to go BAP with the option to go normal or reserve on either side.

Mike
 
Hi All,

I got a "BAP Type" fuel tap (with reserve) from feked.com.
Don't know if it's a real BAP or a copy, but I'm really pleased with it.
A wide range of taps is available on their site.
 
laurentdom said:
Hi All,

I got a "BAP Type" fuel tap (with reserve) from feked.com.
Don't know if it's a real BAP or a copy, but I'm really pleased with it.
A wide range of taps is available on their site.
Click to expand...
Thats where I got my Paoli. I just couldn't run them after I saw they flowed half as much as the UK made ones I already.
 
I like the BAP type BUT there are copies out there that are not up to snuff. Usually you can tell they are hard to turn.
Cannot imagine running out of fuel flow but I suppose for the WOT boys that is possible. If you need that sort of
delivery turn on the reserve. Depending on reserve for a warning is nuts. But then the Norton speedo has no trip meter.
I put one on all my other bikes and plan on doing the Norton next.
 
originally replaced mine with everybody's standard replacements. found the shutoff handles were flimsy and actually bent over time, the 1/4 turn mechanism froze up several times if the bike sat too long. my main also leaked after about a year. IMO, junk! replaced them with BAP's (not sure if they're the real McCoy's or knock-offs, but they seem fine) - much better and no issues so far. Onder mentioned fake BAP's are hard to turn, and i've got to say, mine turn smoothly w/ a normal amount of effort. got them from the bonneville shop (via fleabay) - recall $50-$55 shipped.
 
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Onder said:
I like the BAP type BUT there are copies out there that are not up to snuff.
Click to expand...
Made in India I believe, bought a couple and one just broke off at the root of the tank thread luckily in the garage before I set off. Compared it to a genuine bought when Meriden was still going and other than the lever turning the opposite direction there were no signs it was a copy.
 
I've had exactly the same...snapped right off at the root. On the other hand it didn't leak!
 
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